Cindy McCain steps back from report of trafficking

Cindy McCain appeared to step back from her report of possible human trafficking at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport that authorities later said was not criminal activity.

“At Phoenix Sky Harbor, I reported an incident that I thought was trafficking. I commend the police officers for their diligence,” McCain tweeted Wednesday.

Phoenix police officers assigned to the airport conducted a welfare check on a child at McCain’s request shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 30, police officials said Thursday.

During the welfare check, “officers determined there was no evidence of criminal conduct or child endangerment,” Sgt. Armando Carbajal said in an email.

McCain, the wife of former Arizona Sen. John McCain, is a trustee of the McCain Institute in Washington, D.C., which includes human trafficking among its focuses. She also is co-chair of Gov. Doug Ducey’s Arizona Human Trafficking Council.

In an interview Monday with KTARFM (92.3), McCain said that she noticed a situation at Sky Harbor that didn’t feel right.

“I came in from a trip I’d been on and I spotted — it looked odd — it was a woman of a different ethnicity than the child, this little toddler she had, and something didn’t click with me. … I went over to the police and told them what I saw and they went over and questioned her and, by God, she was trafficking that kid,” McCain told KTAR News.

Phoenix Police Department and Sky Harbor encourage all travelers visiting the airport to report any suspicious activity to police and/or airport personnel, Carbajal said.